The Palani laughingthrush is a species of laughingthrush endemic to the hills of the Western Ghats south of the Palghat Gap in Southern India. Found in the high montane forests, this grey bibbed, rufous bellied bird with a prominent dark eyestripe and broad white brow was grouped along with the grey-breasted subspecies of the black-chinned laughingthrush and known as the grey-breasted laughingthrush. This species is found in the Palni Hills while another closely related form, the Ashambu laughingthrush with a shorter white brow is found in the high hills south of the Achankovil Gap and was treated as a subspecies. The two forms were together treated under the name of Kerala laughingthrush.
Region
Southern Western Ghats, India
Typical Environment
Occurs in high-elevation evergreen 'shola' forests interspersed with montane grasslands. Favors dense undergrowth, forest edges, thickets, and riparian scrub within these cool, moist habitats. It may venture into shaded plantations, hedgerows, and roadside shrubberies adjacent to native forest. The species has a small, highly localized range centered on the Palni Hills.
Altitude Range
1200–2300 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Palani laughingthrush is restricted to the shola–grassland mosaics of the Palni (Palani) Hills in the southern Western Ghats of India. It was formerly grouped with other Western Ghats laughingthrushes under the 'Kerala laughingthrush' but is now recognized as a distinct species. Skulking and wary, it often reveals itself by its rich, laughing calls rather than by sight. Habitat loss and fragmentation in montane forests pose its main threats.
Temperament
skulking and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low to the ground
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups that keep to dense cover. Territorial year-round, with pairs maintaining and defending small home ranges. Nests are typically cup-shaped and placed low in thick shrubs or saplings within shola patches.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rich, ringing series of whistles and chuckles that carries through the forest, often delivered as antiphonal duets. Also gives sharp scolding chacks and chatters when alarmed.
